In our post about the AirBNB “guest” who decided to make himself at home and squat in a desert condo after he had stayed for a month, we noted that at least the condo in question was a vacation home, not her regular home. No, that actually happened this week to a man in Miami. He returned to the house he was renting after a short vacation and found another family living there. [More]
realtors
4 Things Home Buyers Do That Annoy Sellers
By 7.8.14
By this point, most of us have been unwitting sucked into House Hunters marathon and screamed at the nitpicky buyers about their inability to look past the paint color, but that is a minor annoyance compared to some of the other ways in which home buyers get under the skin of sellers. [More]
Despite Anonymous Realtor’s Angry Note, Couple Plans To Keep Parking On Their Lawn
By 5.7.14
The best way to ensure your complaints won’t be taken seriously? Leaving an angry, anonymous letter detailing why you’re ticked off. Just such an unsigned missive from someone claiming to be a realtor has one elderly New Jersey couple pledging to keep parking on their own darn lawn if they want to. [More]
More Would-Be Home Buyers Backing Out Before Closing
By 7.21.11
Real estate agents don’t have it easy these days — well, these years — and their jobs have become even more maddening lately thanks to the recent trend of home buyers canceling sales at the last minute. The rate of home sale cancellations rose from 4 percent in May to 16 percent in June. [More]
Couple Says Real Estate Agent Used Their Home For Sex
By 8.23.10
Earlier this month, a couple in Minnesota filed a lawsuit against a local Coldwell Banker franchise and a real estate agent the company employed, alleging that the agent used the home for sexcapades while they were out of town, ruining their furniture, bedding and carpet. Neighbors say he showed up one day with an unidentified man and said they were going to be preparing the home for an open house, but no open house was held. Or at least not one the neighbors could see; maybe he uses that phrase in a different way. [More]
Would You Judge A Real Estate Broker By His Blog?
By 8.17.08
The Washington Post reports that consumers are starting to judge real estate agents by their blogs. Almost 10% of real estate brokers are apparently blogging, a number that is likely to rise faster than that sketchy “up and coming” neighborhood you’ve heard about for years.
"Economist" Publishes "Why The Real Estate Boom Will Not Bust" Shortly Before Real Estate Boom Busts
By 1.9.08
David Lereah was the chief economist for that National Association of Realtors before he left to become an Executive Vice President of Move, INC. During his tenure as chief economist, he published several books. One of them, released in 2005, was titled Are You Missing The Real Estate Boom? Why Home Values And Other Real Estate Investments Will Climb Through The End Of The Decade—And How To Profit From Them. The cover depicted a nice enough looking family staring up at tiny little house that was hovering in the sky above their heads, out of reach, but still tantalizingly close. If only, if only they’d just read Mr. Lereah’s book!
Family Finds A Secret Room Filled With Toxic Mold In New House
By 11.6.07
Jason and Kerri Brown of Greenville, S.C. found a secret room, hidden behind a bookcase, in their newly purchased home. When they entered the room, they found a note that said “You found it!”
Buy Your House Online And Save Thousands
By 2.9.07
The Van Eses are using Seattle-based Redfin, one of several new brokerage services that hope to revolutionize home buying by rebating part of their commissions back to buyers. The challenge is aimed at traditional firms that charge full commissions, which often total tens of thousands of dollars in today’s high-priced Southland market.
Consumerist Ask Metafilter Round-Up
By 8.29.06
• Can you ride as a passenger in an uninsured vehicle without legal ramifications? [Link] • Rental Cars: Who gives the most bang for my buck at $29/day insurance rental car coverage? [Link] • How do you tell someone how to cut your hair?
Remainders
By 2.24.06
Here’s all the stuff we couldn’t think of enough clever things to say about but nonetheless found interesting.
